Los Angeles finds summer jobs for 10,000 youths

Mayor Eric Garcetti met with local business leaders on Tuesday to thank them for their work in helping Los Angeles again find summer jobs for the city’s youth.

“I’m proud to announce that Monday was the first day of work for 10,000 young Angelenos age 14-24 through my Hire L.A.’s Youth summer jobs program,” Garcetti said.

“We know that youth are the key to the success and prosperity of this city, and Hire L.A.’s Youth, a part of my Summer of Success initiative, gives our younger generation the chance to leap ahead this summer, with safe and productive ways to learn, earn and play.”

Speaking at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Garcetti voiced his appreciation to the city‘s partners in the program, including the Los Angeles Unified School District, JPMorgan Chase, the California Endowment and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

The initiative previously hit the 10,000 mark in 2010 under former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who was able to utilize federal stimulus funds. Garcetti aides said the number had dropped to 5,000 jobs in recent years, so he is especially pleased with the upswing.

The program is one of a number of efforts undertaken by the mayor to work with young people, including Saturday Night Lights, which keeps city parks open for activities, and Summer of Learning through LAUSD, which offers kids a variety of options with an emphasis on science, technology and engineering.

In Garcetti’s first news conference as mayor, he set the goal of hiring 10,000 young people, and in succeeding months, his office partnered with a number of private firms, such as the Walt Disney Company and Citibank.

The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and the County of Los Angeles were also involved in the outreach.